A Texas A&M librarian takes you on a personal excursion around the newly renovated Evans Library. This renovation is featured in the American Libraries' "Design Showcase" for 2011, which highlights the best in new and newly renovated libraries of all types.



This video is part of a story from the spring 2011 issue of Spirit Magazine. Read the story here. Sign up for a free online subscription to Spirit magazine, published three times a year.

Take a look at how the Texas A&M Foundation is helping Aggie scholars become Aggie stars: A member of the class of 2012 majoring in chemistry and the first person in her family to attend college, Catherine Watkins is discovering the world through Texas A&M.



This video was shown during the Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma football game on November 6th. See more Aggie Star videos from last football season.

Texas A&M's mascot Reveille VIII enjoys a day at the dog spa with her buddy Reveille VII.



This video is part of a story from the spring 2011 issue of Spirit Magazine. Read the story here. Sign up for a free online subscription to Spirit magazine, published three times a year.

Support from Foundation Excellence Award (FEA) scholarships change the lives of outstanding Texas A&M students who have overcome economic, social or educational disadvantages.



This video is part of a story from the fall 2010 issue of Spirit Magazine. Read the story here. Sign up for a free online subscription to Spirit magazine, published three times a year.

Take a look at how the Texas A&M Foundation is helping Aggie scholars become Aggie stars: A member of the class of 2011 majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies, Alicia Kirby has her sights set on saving lives as she pursues her dream to become a doctor.



This video was shown during the Texas A&M vs. Nebraska football game on November 20th. See more Aggie Star videos from last football season.

The path to leadership for thousands of cadets began with their first steps on Military Walk. Having undergone a massive renovation, the passageway has re-assumed its prominence and glory. See what it looks like now:



This video is part of a short story from the fall 2010 issue of Spirit Magazine. Read the story here. Sign up for a free online subscription to Spirit magazine, published three times a year.

Take a look at how the Texas A&M Foundation is helping Aggie scholars become Aggie stars: A member of the class of 2011 majoring in Chemical Engineering, Aaron Trask is a Texas A&M Maroon Coat, who helps bring generations of Aggies together.



This video was shown during the Texas A&M-Missouri football game on October 16th. See more Aggie Star videos from last football season.

Texas A&M develops leaders of character, like petroleum engineering dept. head and longtime
Texas A&M Foundation supporter Dr. Stephen Holditch '69.




To learn how you can support research and academics in the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M, contact Brady Bullard '95 of the Texas A&M Foundation at (800) 392-3310.

Middle schoolers inspired by Aggie Star’s research to combat cancer, birth defects.

In December, a group of 7th graders from Sartartia Middle School in Sugar Land came to campus to tour the lab of Dr. Arne Lekven, associate professor in the Department of Biology, where doctorate student and Aggie Star Anand Narayanan conducts his research.

The students were inspired by Narayanan’s work to combat cancer and birth defects after viewing his Aggie Star video (below), and they modified plans for their 2011 science fair project to study Zebrafish as a model for cancer research.

“Besides the area of science being fascinating, this project is very personal because of the loss of a friend's mother to cancer,” wrote the students to Narayanan in an e-mail dated early December.

If the students win with their project in the local science fair, they will advance to the regional level where they could be awarded scholarships.

“As I was explaining to these young minds about my research, I felt as if I am passing on the torch of knowledge to the next generation,” said Narayanan.

Not only did he inspire the students academically, Narayanan also shared the Aggie spirit with them through a stop at Kyle field and other locations on campus during their visit. The students were transformed, and at the end of the tour they said they wanted to attend Texas A&M and pursue degrees in science.

Narayanan is excited about the passion for science that he was able to inspire through the video. “I am amazed at the impact of the Aggie Star video. It not only gave me an opportunity to express my gratitude to Texas A&M, but it is helping me reach out to potential Aggies!”



For information about supporting scholarship programs at Texas A&M, contact Jody Ford ’99 of the Texas A&M Foundation at (800) 392-3310.

Contribute to a pooled merit scholarship account.

Aggie Angel Network provides critical financial, mentor support for entrepreneurs

Jeremy Kelley ’14 and David Birch had a promising business idea. Thanks to the support of the Aggie Angel Network, the duo’s company, Collective Labs LLC., is turning that concept into a reality.

Launched in fall 2010, the Aggie Angel Network is a nonprofit corporation that provides early-stage investment opportunities and assists early-stage high-growth technology companies. “The network is like a dating service,” said Omar Hakim, who serves as the network’s president as well as the Research Valley Innovation Center’s general manager. “We’re introducing entrepreneurs who are seeking investments and investors who are seeking opportunities.”

Streamlining the Investment Process
The network is designed to facilitate and streamline the investment process. “As a network we are trying to find deals and prepare deals that have the potential to be 10-fold opportunities for investors,” Hakim said. While the network welcomes proposals from any entrepreneur, applicants with ties to Texas A&M get a friendlier look.

To access the Aggie Angel Network, interested entrepreneurs complete a structured application process. The network’s staff, which includes Mays Business School graduate students, reviews the applications and works with the entrepreneurs to address any gaps.

Potential investors also are screened prior to becoming network members to ensure that they are accredited investors. The network, which has received membership pledges from 30 investors, is well on the way to its goal of having 100 members by the end of 2011.

Once an entrepreneur submits a proposal and an application fee, the Aggie Angel Network shares the information with member investors. Face-to-face and online sessions also are held so that entrepreneurs can pitch their proposals directly to interested investors. When a match is made, the investor agrees to provide funding, often in excess of $100,000. Frequently the investor’s knowledge, connections and mentorship prove to be as important to the entrepreneur’s success. “Some of these people have never run a company in their life,” said David Wesson ’82, who serves as the network’s chairman.

Allowing a Focus on Product Development
Through the Aggie Angel Network, Wesson already has funded two proposals submitted by Kelly and Birch. “These investments allow us to focus on building the product as opposed to figuring out how we feed our families,” said Kelley, a Texas A&M doctoral student in computer science. Wesson’s first investment paved the way for the development of BlinkSend, a web-based computer software that allows users to see the effectiveness of their electronic documents through statistics and analytics. A Beta version of BlinkSend is available online. Wesson’s second investment is supporting the creation of another software program designed to help charities raise contributions that will debut in March.

Hakim believes these deals will be the first of many through the Aggie Angel Network and hopes more Aggies investors will consider membership in this network. “The Aggie Angel Network is a great way to give back because you’re going to be able to give technical expertise and knowledge as well as financial support,” Hakim said. “This network is really in line with the legacy of Aggies helping Aggies.”

America is spending billions to fight a foreign invader that's less than a half-inch long. Check out who's winning the battle.



This video is part of a short story from the fall 2010 issue of Spirit Magazine. Read the story here. Sign up for a free online subscription to Spirit magazine, published three times a year.

Aggie unearths original MSC renderings in archival trove.

From its humble beginnings as a “golden dream” for the future of Texas A&M, the Memorial Student Center (MSC) has always held a special place in the hearts of Aggies. It’s not just a building in which students congregate—it’s a place where generations of Aggies come together to honor the past and celebrate the future.

This brochure, mailed to former students in the early 1940s, includes the initial plans for the MSC. Special thanks to Paul A. Dresser Jr. ’64 for sharing this piece of Texas A&M history with us.





For information about the current MSC renovation progress, go to ourmsc.tamu.edu.

Aggies’ love and support of the MSC has continued throughout its history. You can be part of that legacy by supporting the expansion and update of this historic Texas A&M building. Make an online gift to the MSC renovation and expansion project. For information on naming opportunities, contact David Wilkinson ’87, or Cindy Munson ’99 of the Texas A&M Foundation at (800) 392-3310 or read the MSC case statement.

Texas A&M probes link between smoking and cancer pain.

Cancer patients who continue to smoke despite their diagnosis suffer more pain than their non-smoking counterparts, suggests a recent study published in the January edition of PAIN.

The cross-sectional study, led by Joseph W. Ditre, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Texas A&M’s College of Liberal Arts, found that for a wide range of cancer types and for cancers in stages I to IV, smoking was associated with increased pain severity and the extent to which pain interfered with a patient’s daily routine.

“This study adds deeper understanding to the relationship between pain and smoking among persons with cancer,” Ditre said. “In particular, we focused on smoking status and pain reporting in greater detail, across a wider range of cancer patients, and with regard to potential benefits of quitting smoking.”

Investigators surveyed 224 patients with a range of cancer diagnoses. Patients completed self-report measures of pain severity, pain-related distress, and pain-related interference, as well as a demographics questionnaire. Patients were asked to rate their perceived severity of bodily pain (rating from none to very severe) and the degree to which pain interfered with their daily routine (from not at all to extremely).

Current smokers said they experienced more severe pain than patients who had never smoked, and also reported more interference from pain than either patients who had never smoked or former smokers. Among former smokers, there was an inverse relation between pain and the number of years since quitting, suggesting that quitting smoking may reduce pain over time.

The article, titled “Associations between pain and current smoking status among cancer patients,” appears in PAIN, Volume 152, Issue 1 (January 2011), published by the International Association for the Study of Pain.

For more information about how you can support research in the Department of Psychology at Texas A&M, contact Mark Klemm ’81 of the Texas A&M Foundation at (800) 392-3310.

Perry and Sara Schwierzke's deep Aggie roots have shaped their lives, their family's future and the future of Texas A&M.



This is a shortened version of their story. Watch the full-length video.

Texas A&M students test sport management skills at Cotton Bowl.

As Texas A&M University was facing off against Louisiana State University in the 75th AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, a group of Aggies were getting real-world experience in the business of big-time college sports.



For the second year, 12 students from the Laboratory for the Study of Intercollegiate Athletics (LSIA) in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University served as representatives and hosts for the Cotton Bowl.




Students spent a week in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area assisting with event management and implementing a "guerrilla marketing" campaign to get the surrounding community involved in the Cotton Bowl.




Interns also attended a hospital visit with the Fighting Texas Aggies at The Children's Medical Center.




At the hospital, the interns set up bags filled with shirts and posters while players signed autographs for the children.

For more information about their trip, check out the LSIA Cotton Bowl Blog.

Give to the Texas A&M Department of Health and Kinesiology Excellence Fund online.

For more information about how you can support the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M, contact Steve Blomstedt ’83 of the Texas A&M Foundation at (800) 392-3310.